Shovel-handle-bending machine.



PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

J. B. FOULKES. SHOVEL HANDLE BENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1l. 1903.

SSHEBTS-SHEET 1.

NO MODEL.

PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

J. E. POULKES.

SHOVEL HANDLE BBNDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11. 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

l, Y JVA: i Z7 PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

J. E. POULKES.

SHOVBL HANDLE BENDING MACHINE.

AYPLlUATION FILED JUNE 11, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

HO MODEL.

WUNESSES.- w

UNITED STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

SHOVEL-HANDLE-BENDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,176, dated August 2, 1904.

Application led June 11, 1903. Serial No. 161,047. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom if mfr/y concern.:

Be it known that l', JOSEPH EDWIN FOULK es, a citizen of the United States, residing at Crawfordsville, in the county of Montgomery and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shovel-Handle-Bending Machines, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to a machine for bending shovel-handles; and the object of the same is to provide an organization of elements whereby a shovel-handle may be properly shaped for application to the blade without injuring the liber or grain of the handle and expedite the assemblage of the parts of the shovel, as well as reduce the cost of shovel construction.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

1n the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying' the features of the invention. Fig'. Q is a view similar to Fig'. 1, showing some of the parts in a different position. Fig. 3 is top plan view of the niachine. Fig. '-1 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. is a vertical transverse sectional View on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a similar view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of a holding-clamp for application to the shovel after the same has been bent.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingl parts in the several views.

The numeral l designates a bench having suitably braced or tied legs Z and an open top 3. Extending' transversely through the lower portion of the bench is a drive-shafte, having a band wheel or pulley 5 at one end for application thereto of driving power, and adjacent to the end of the shaft-carrying` wheel or pulley 5 a pinion 6 is keyed or otherwise secured on the shaft el and held in continual mesh with a spur-gear 7, passed on a powertransmitting shaft 8. The power-transmitting' shaft 8 is held by bearing-brackets 9, rising from the lower portion of the bench and in parallel relation to the shaft fle, and on the extremity of the shaft 8 opposite that carrying the spur-gear 7 is an elliptical cam 10, which is eccentrically attached to the said shaft and has a groove 11 formed therein close to the edge thereof. Secured to shaft S and simultaneously movable with the cani 10 is a heart-cam 1Q, having' a groove 13 near the edge thereof practically of the same contour as the said cani 12. rlhis cam 1Q has a portion of the groove 13 thereof enlarged to provide a well 1l for a purpose which will be presently set forth. On the shaft '8 at a distance inwardly from the cam 19. an auxiliary elliptical cam 15 is secured and has a groove 16 in the outer face thereof, as clearly shown in dotted lines by Fig. 6. The shaft 8 also carries a cam 17, which is eccentrieall y mounted and of substantiall y elliptical contour, having one end 18 cut off to give the said cam a proper-timed operation in relation to the part which eng'ages the same.

On the top of the bench a rock-shaft 19 is disposed in suitable bearings and provided with arms 20, terminally connected by an actuating-rod 21, to which partial rotatable movements are imparted in reverse directions (for the purpose hereinafter explained) by means of a depending arm 2Q, securely fastened at its upper end to said rod and having its lower end provided with an angular toe or projection 23, engaging with the periphery of cam 17, a spring 2st being' secured upon the bench and having one extremity thereof constantly pressing said arm 22 against said earn 17. The rock-shaft 19 receives its motion from shaft 8 through the medium of an arm 25, rigid with one of the arms 20, and having its lower terminal provided with a stud 26, which is continually held in the groove 16 of the cam 15.

On one side of the top of the bench is a rigid clamping-jaw 27, which continues into a lower immovable bending-jaw 28, the jaws 27 and 28 having a. groove Q9 formed in the upper portion thereof, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2. The upper edge of the immovable bending-jaw 28 is curved lengthwise, (shown in Figs. 1 and 9.,) corresponding to the usual shape of the end of a shovelhandle which is attached to the shovel-blade, The groove 29 opens outwardly on the rear end of the jaw 27 in line with the keeperBO, adjustably mounted on the bench and having an upstanding angular extremity 31 to lit `in,

the eye or opening usually provided to form the grip 'at one end of the shovel-handle. This keeper acts-to hold the handle against shifting movement while the bending operation is being pursued, and to accommodate different lengths of handles the said keeper is longitudinally adjustable. In suitable guides 32 on the end of the bench adjacent to the cam 10 a shank 33 is adjustably mounted and is secured at its upper end to a vertically-reciprocating or removable clampingjaw 34, which is so disposed as to accurately register with the upper edge of the jaw 27. The lower end of the shank 33 has an outwardly-projecting pin or stud 35, which is continually held in the groove 13 of the heart-cam 12.`

Cooperating with the immovable bending-jaw 28 is a movable bending-jaw 36, having a bracket 37 rigidly attached thereto and firmly secured to oneend of the rod 21'. The rotating movements imparted to the actuatingrod 21 gives the jaw 36 a swinging operation, andthe under edge of this jaw is curved lengthwise to correspond to the upper curved edge of the jaw 28 and also grooved, as shown by dotted lines, to fully embrace the shovelhandle during the bending operation. The under edge of the clamping-jaw 34 is horizontally straight and has a groove formed therein, as shown by dotted lines, Vand the grooves in the jaws 27, 28, 34, and 36 are of such dimensions as to cause the said parts to firmly engage the shovel handle without crushing the latter. The groove 29 in the jaw 27 is at such elevation above the top of thel bench that when the shovel-handle is inserted or disposed in the said jaw and the grip thereof engaged by the angular terminal 31 of the keeper 3() the handle will bein horizontal position and straining thereof at a point where it is not desired to establish a bend will be avoided. r1`he cams 12, 1,5, and 13 have adifferent eccentric relation to each other on the shaft 8, and this differentiation in eccentricity is determined in such manner as to impart proper movement to the jaws 34 and 36, the latter being both elevated at the same time, and the jaw 36, in addition to its lowering movement, gradually swings downwardly to regularly bend the end of the shovel-handle held over the jaw 28, which is primarily straight, and thus avoid breaking or fracturing the said shovel end.

The free end of the rigid jaw 28 is cut away at an upward and outward bevel, as at 37 to provide a clearance and close association in relation thereto for a reciprocating end clamp. This clamp comprises a segmental bracket 38, having a support 39 adjustably mounted thereon and, consisting of an upper arm 40, held by a pivot-screw 41, and a lower outwardlyprojecting curved member 42 with a slot 43 therein, through which a set-screw 44 projects. The inner edge of the arm 39 at an intermediate point has an inclined guideway 45, in which 'a clamping-slide 46 is movably mounted. The said slide 46 has an upper inwardly-projecting ledge 47 to engage the end of the handle and closely force the same downwardlyV into the outer terminal of the jaw 28, the jaw 36 having a clearance at its o u ter end, as at 48, to permit the ledge 47 to operate over the outer end of the jaw 28, as clearly shown by Figs. 1 and 2. The lower end of the clamping-slide 46 has a link 49 movably attached thereto, the'lower end of'the link being formed with a series of openings 50 for adjustable connections to a cam-arm 51, fulcrumed at its lower end to one of the legs 2, as at 52, and provided with a pin or stud 53 at its upper end, which is held in continual engagement with the groove 11 of the cam 10. r1`he upper extremity of the cam-arm 51 also has a series of openings 54 formed therein to extend the adjustment of the link 49. The adjustable connection of the link 49 and cam-arm 51 compensate for the variation in the diameters of different shovel-handles and also to regulate the speed of movement of thev clamping-slide 46. tioned on the shaft 8 with relation to the other The cam 10 is so posicams that the reciprocating clamp 46 will not be actuated to move downwardly toward the outer end of the jaw 28 until the jaw 36 is fully closed against said jaw 28, and by employing the cam-slide the extremity of the handle held between the jaws will be more IOO positively bent and retained in bent condition, and at the samev time the tendency of the bent handle extremity to return tonormal position will be overcome and strain relieved from the jaw 36. ance of the bent portion of the shovel-handle will be more quickly overcome and a reaction thereof against the jaw 36, tending to throw.

said jaw up, will be entirely obviated, and at the same time all the elements of the machine contributing to the bending operation willv tion from the shaft 8, thereby elevating the` arms 20, together with the rod 21, carried by the latter, and at the same time the lower eX- tremity of arm 22 is caused to move against the non-effective portion of cam 17 by the pressure of spring 24 upon the said arm;

In other words the resist-- IIO This movement of the arm E22 imparts a partial rotation to rod 21 in one direction, thereby swinging the movable bending-jaw 36 upwardly to the portion indicated in Fig. 2, it being understood that during' this operation of the said movable bending-jaw the said movable clamping-jaw 34 is being elevated by the reciprocatingdevices therefor. On the return or downward movement of this last-named jaw the shaft 19 is rocked in the reverse direction, thereby carrying the arms 20 and rod 2l downwardly, and at this time the effective portion of cam 17 beg'ins to act'upon the pendent extremity of arm 22, so that rod 21 is partially rotated also in reverse direction, thereby swinging' the movable bending-jaw downwardly to the position indicated in Fig. 1, the desired bending' pressure being' exerted upon this jaw through the continued upward pressure of cam 17 against the lower extremity of said arm :22.

It will be understood that previous to placing' the shovel-handle in the jaws for bending' it will be steamed, moistened, or otherwise treated to render the same flexible, and the bent extremity of the handle will be held in the jaws a suicient length of time to shape the same and permit the application of a holding-clamp 55. (Shown by Fig. 7.) This holding-clamp consists of a metal plate 56, having pins or studs 57 projecting from one side thereof in such manner that a space will be defined between them in a longitudinal direction corresponding' to the curvature of the bent extremity of the shovel-handle while held by the jaws 28 and 36. For convenience in applying this holding-clamp 55 the jaws 28 and 36 have transversely-extending openings 58 communicating with the grooves in the contiguous edges of said jaws, said openings being adapted to receive a portion of said pins or studs 5T. A number of these holdingclamps will be provided and are very eficient in maintaining' the extremity of the shovel-l handle in the bent conditionuntil the handle is thoroughly dried or further tendency to return to normalposition is removed. The position that the shovel-handle extremity occupies in the holding-clamp is clearly shown by dotted lines in Fig. 7.

All the parts of the machine are actuated from the shaft 4, and by applying' power thereto the pinion 6 will be rotated, the spur-g'ear 7 actuated, and the shaft carrying' the cams and cooperating devices will be set in motion to actuate the parts, as heretofore explained. It is obvious that chang'es in the contour of the curved edges of the jaws 27 and 36 can be made, as well as in the proportions and dimensions of the elements of the organizatiomwithout in the least departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having' thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a machine for bending' shovel-handles, the combination of immovable clamping' and bending' jaws, a movable clamping-jaw, and means for raising and lowering the same, a rock-shaft and operating devices therefor, arms carried by this shaft, and a rotatable i'od terminally connecting' the arms, another bendp JOSEPH EDV/IN FOULKES.

l/Vitnesses:

JAMES E. BAPPERT, JOHN J. FISHER. 

